• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.429-436
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• 2011

There have been several studies reporting that vocal misuse and abuse causes voice problems, as well as laryngeal disease such as laryngitis, vocal nodules, vocal polyp. But few researches have investigated amounts or rates of vocal misuse or vocal abuse of patients. Therefore, the author of this study developed measuring device for vocal misuse and abuse behaviors and compared frequency of vocal misuse and abuse behaviors of normal children and children with vocal nodules. The subjects of this study were five normal children and five children with vocal nodules who were male, lower graders of elementary schools(first to third graders). Based on the results of this study, the frequency of the children with vocal nodules in vocal misuse and abuse using was 5,411(${\pm}145$) and that of the normal children was 3,133(${\pm}257$). The frequency of vocal misuse and abuse behaviors of the children with vocal nodules was around 1.5 time significantly higher than that of normal children(p<.001).

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.53-61
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• 2013

Voice disorders are most common in female teachers due to work-related vocal demands; however, only a few studies tried to evaluate individual risk factors with work-related risk factors to diagnose voice disorders. This study evaluated sixty-seven female elementary teachers (36 with voice disorders and 31 without voice disorders) to compare their vocal misuse, overuse, and vocal hygiene behaviors. Total Voice Handicap Index scores and VHI subscale (P, E, F) scores were not significantly different between two groups (p>0.05) and there was no relationship between VHI and acoustic measures (p>0.05). Loud talking, talking in noisy situations, and excessive speaking were significantly more frequent in female teachers with voice disorders (p<0.05) and thereby these overuse and misuse behavioral patterns were identified as risk factors to develop voice disorders in female teachers. Also, hydration was the most common behavior for vocal hygiene when experiencing vocal fatigue; however, hydration with hot green tea or coffee and throat clearing were often misused for vocal hygiene. This study found that female teachers from both groups presented higher voice handicap regardless of voice disorders. This study suggests a multidimensional voice assessment protocol is required to reflect voice problems in teachers and a vocal education program may be important to improve vocal hygiene knowledge and behavioral changes in female teachers.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.133-140
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• 2011

Muscle misuse dysphonia (MMD) is defined as a behavioral voice disorder resulting from inappropriate contractions of intrinsic and/or extrinsic laryngeal muscles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of motor learning guided laryngeal motor control therapy (MLG-LMCT) which is designed to improve an existing LMT and further the effective voice treatment on people with muscle misuse dysphonia. Forty-six people with MMD (M:F=16:30) participated in this study. The voice samples of the participants were recorded to investigate the effect of MLG-LMCT before and after the voice therapy. Voice samples were analyzed via electro-glotto-graph (EGG). Contact quotient (CQ), speed quotient (SQ), and waveform were reported. In addition, perceptual and acoustical evaluation were conducted to determine the change of voice improvement after treatment. The experimenter massaged the tensioned muscles around the neck. In order to find more proper phonation the experimenter showed the subjects their EGG wave forms as to whether or not they are moving the vocal folds to the appropriate position. Therefore, the EGG wave forms were used as a type of visual feedback. With the wave form, the experimenter helped subjects move the vocal folds and laryngeal muscles to find more proper voice production. The sensory stimuli from the experimenter gradually faded out. A paired dependent t- test revealed that there was significant differences in CQ between pre- and post-therapy. Perceptually, overall, rough, breathy, strain, and transition were significantly reduced. Acoustically, there were significant differences in Fo, jitter, shimmer, and NHR. After using MLG-LMCT, most of the subjects showed improvements in voice quality. The results from this study led us to the following conclusions: Motor learning guided laryngeal motor control therapy (MLG-LMCT) has reduces muscle misuse dysphonia. These results may occur because a visual feedback from EGG wave form can maintain the effect of the muscle tension reduction from laryngeal manual therapy. In case of people with MMD who reduced muscle tension from the therapy (LMT) but, not appropriately manipulating the location of larynx or adducting the vocal folds, MLG-LMCT might be an alternative therapy approach.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.40-44
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• 2002

Background and Objectives : Vocal abuse and misuse and muscle tension dysphonia that have various movements of false vocal folds may be related to the development of benign vocal folds lesions, such as vocal nodules, polyps, and cysts. This study was designed to determine whether benign vocal folds lesions were related with movements of false vocal folds on phonation. Material and Methods : One Hundred and seventy eight subjects were studied. All subjects received otolaryngological evaluation including videostroboscopy, objective voice measures. Patients were diagnosed as normal shape of vocal folds (group a), approximation of bilateral false vocal folds (group b), approximation of unilateral false vocal folds (group c), lateralized extension of false vocal folds (group d), and medialized approximation of posterior false vocal folds (group e). We analyzed the results of benign vocal folds lesions in each group. Results : Differences were found between the normal shaped group and the abnormal shaped group. No differences were found between each abnormal groups except group d and e. Conclusion : The shape of false vocal folds was related to the benign vocal folds lesions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-100
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• 2015

Benign vocal fold lesions, such as vocal nodules, polyps and Reinke's edema, usually result from chronic voice overuse. Conservative management such as voice therapy and pharmacotherapy are used as the primary treatment techniques. The main purpose of voice therapy is to identify and reduce voice misuse to achieve the optimal voice. But complete resolution may not be possible in all patients after voice therapy. Furthermore, some patients with voice-related occupations, voice rest and voice therapy are sometimes difficult, which makes it hard to carry out the treatment. When conservative therapy is ineffective, laryngeal microsurgery can be performed under general anesthesia. However, potential complications following laryngeal suspension and violation of the layered structure of the vocal fold during surgery should be considered before surgery. In recent decades, emerging literatures have demonstrated the potential usefulness of vocal fold steroid injection as an alternative treatment option for benign vocal fold lesions. The most advantageous feature of vocal fold steroid injection is the maintenance of regional anti-inflammatory effects while preventing the potential systemic adverse effects of the steroid. Many non-surgical treatment methods can be conducted using different approaches in the office setting. It can be applied as an alternative treatment modality for the management of various benign vocal fold lesions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 1998

Benign vocal fold lesions such as polyps, nodules and edema are known to be caused by vocal trauma such as voice misuse and/or abuse. Even though these lesions are known to be caused by the same etiology, phonotrauma, they show widely different clinical features and different responses to voice therapy. Previous studies suggested that benign vocal fold lesions represent disturbance in the balance of the extracellular matrix(ECM) constituents of the vocal folds. Collagen is one of the major constituents of ECM. Among collagens, fibrillar collagens are most important ones for maintaining the structural integrity. On the basis of gross morphology, vocal polyps wert divided into angiomatous one and edematous one, and nodules were divided into conical one and sessile one. In these four groups, the pattern of distribution of various fibrillar collagens(type 1, 2, 3, 5) was studied by immunohistochemical staining using paraffin embedded tissues. Within each group, differences among collagen subtypes were insignificant. In edematous polyp, collagens were sparsely dispersed in lamina propria by diffuse edema. In angiomatous polyp, collagens were displaced into submucosal layer by hemorrhagic space. In nodules, collagens were stained compactly in lamina propria. Quite different distributions of fibrillar collagens between polyps and nodules are thought to suggest that vocal polyps and nodules are totally different disorders in their pathophysiology.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.11-13
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• 2017

This article addresses the roles of the speech language pathologist (SLP) for singers who require prompt and effective treatment when a voice problem arises. The causes of voice problem are often vocal abuse/misuse/overuse, muscle tension dysphonia and inappropriate singing technique. The SLP should conduct voice counseling and voice assessment for maintaining healthy voice of singer constantly.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.31-36
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• 2009

This study attempted to examine the effects of a portable voice feedback device on the hyperfunctional voice behaviors of children with vocal nodules when they wore the device in their daily lives. The device could set fundamental frequency and intensity at optimal levels for the subjects, It produces an audible alarm for inappropriate hyperfunctional voices beyond the preset levels, In addition, the frequency of hyperfunctional voice behaviors was recorded by the device, therefore the users were able to chart their number of hyperfunctional voice behaviors per day, According to results acquired after having subjects wear the device for 12 weeks, the subjects' frequency of hyperfunctional voice behaviors decreased significantly (p < .01). Especially from the first to fourth week, the frequency of their hyperfunctional voice behaviors declined significantly.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2004

Background and Objectives : The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of vocal hygiene education for the female elementary school teachers. Materials and Method : Thirty healthy female elementary school teachers were enrolled for the study. We provided a vocal hygiene education to the half of them. Voice handicap index and acoustic parameters were measured before and 4 week after the education. The efficacy of vocal hygiene education was analyzed by Wilcoxon Signed-rank test. Results : The vocal hygiene group showed significant improvement both in the subjective and objective data after the education. However, the non-vocal hygiene group failed to show any improvement. In functional score, emotional score, jitter, shimmer, only Junior Class(JC) could find significant after the education. Only low career(LC) could find significant in subjective data. Conclusion : Vocal hygiene education may be useful in reducing vocal misuse and abuse associated with teaching, and can be an effective method to maintain and improve the vocal health of teachers.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.165-171
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• 2010

Vocal process granuloma can occur commonly by laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), vocal abuse or misuse. It has been reported that voice therapy is employed with medication therapy for the patients who has vocal process granuloma, however research about effect of voice therapy can be hardly founded. For that matter, the primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of therapeutic method we implement. Thirty one patients who has been diagnosed with vocal process granuloma from January, 2007 to June, 2009 participated in this study. 19 patients among them are provided voice therapy and medication, 12 patients take only medication. Voice therapy is implemented ranging from 5 to 19 sessions (mean: 8.6 sessions). We provided explanation about problem each patient has, voice rest, SKMVTT$^{(R)}$, abdominal breathing, and relaxation in session. All subjects were examined by videostroboscopy, perceptual assessment, acoustic and aerodynamic measures. Consequantly, the greater part of the patients (78.9%) who is treated by voice therapy and medication are confirmed disappearance or decrease of granuloma, it shows better results compared with the group provided only medication (66.7%). Especially, the period of drug administration is 3.7 months in the group runs parallel with voice therapy, the period of other group is 7.8 months. The results of acoustic and aerodynamic measures after treating indicates there are significant decrease in Jitter, Shimmer, and NHR, and increase in MPT, Psub (p<.05). However, there is no large difference statistically even though voice quality has improved since the therapy. In conclusion, it is verified that the voice therapy to the vocal process granuloma patients taking medication is effectual method, we recommend combining voice therapy with medication when treatment is needed for the vocal process granuloma patients.